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2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. E. M. BALL & I. A. WISWELL. MACHINE FOR MAKING ROPE.

No. 244,974, PatQnted Aug. 2, 1f88l.

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w 2 Sheets-Shet 2. E.- M. BALL & P. A. .WISWELL. MACHINE FOR MAKINGVROPE- N0. [244,974. Patented Aug. 2,1881.

V ixmw N. PETERS PlwlrLiMogr-lpinr. wamio lmmc UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. BALL, OF STANSTEAD, QUEBEC, CANADA, AND FREDERICK A. WIsWELL, or DERBY, vERMoNT,-Ass1GNons TO CHARLES c. comma or STANSTEAD PLAIN, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING ROPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,974, datedAugust 2, 1881.

i Application filed October 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD M. BALL, of Stanstead, in the county of Stanste'ad, Province of Quebec, Canada, and FREDERICK A. W ISW'ELL, of Derby, in the county of Orleans and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of Rope; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which 1 5 form apart of this specification, and in which- 5 Figure 1 is a side view of ourimproved ropei v making machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view-of the same. Fig. 3 is arear elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the dotted line 2 z of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows details of one form of the spool-carriers. Fig. 7 is a detail of a second form of the spool-carriers. Fig. Sis a detail sectional view of one of the tension-regulating devices of the spool-spindles. Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the rope drawing-oif rolls. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the rope-forming shaft or spindle.

This invention relates to improvements in rope-makin g machinery, and has for its object to effect the expeditious 'and advantageous twisting of the wires or threads into strands and the strands into rope, to impart a uniform 5 tension in a simple and effectual manner to the wires of each set of spools or strands, and to prevent the entanglement of the wires of a strand. 7 A A The invention consists of the devices and 0 combinations of devices hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

adapted to support the machinery.

B is a central hollow shaft, with its rear end the frame A, while its forward end is fitted with a detachable supplemental tube, J hav- A In the accompanying drawings, A is a frame supported in. bearings a a upon cross-pieces of ing a number of oblique passages through it, and itself also fitted with an inner tube or die, 8, held removably therein by a set-screw. By substituting dies with different-sized openings different-sized central cores are accommodated.

O is a hub, fitted. to the shaft B, and having a number of radial arms or spokes, d, with slotted curved extremities or segments, as clear- 5 5 1y seen in Fig. 5. Through these curved slotted arms pass, in an oblique manner, hollow shafts or spindles E, bearing in boxes or hubs bolted adjustably to said arms by screw-bolts, as seen in Fig. 5. The upper or rear ends of the spindles are provided with driving-pinions e, gearing with the gear-wheel D, revolving on the shaft B, through which motion is transmitted to the spindles E.

By the adjustment of the shafts or spindles 6 5 E, in the curved slotted arms cl they can be adjusted to the desired angle of convergence to the shaft B without disturbing the working relation of their pinions with the wheel D.

When it is desired to use a large central core, which it is desired to cover with a small number of threads or wires, the tube J is replaced by a shorter one,-and the convergent ends of the spindles E brought nearer to the central shaft, B. This, it will be seen, allows a 7 5 differential laying of the wires or strands upon the core, and efiects the quick or slow winding of the small number of wires or strands upon the said core.

Two of the spindles E carry disksF G, each of which is provided with three or a greater or less number of spools, j j or j j upon which the wire orthread is wound.

Any one or more of the following ways may be observed in adjusting or supporting the 8 5 v spools in position upon the disks. One way is by the use of a frame provided with centers g, and having a hinged or pivoted arm or section, h, whose center is held in contact with the head of the spool, or in depressions there- 0 in, by a spring, 2, adapted to press upon the short arm of the pivoted section, all as clearly seen in Fig. 6. A second and similar way is, as shown in Fig. 7, by causing a spring, t",

fastened directly to the disk G, to act upon a pivoted post, It, with a center, and connecting a fixed post provided with a center, g, directly to the disk. A third way is by connecting to a collar on the spindle a number of radial arms, as at H, Figs. 2 and 4, each of which carries aseries of spools, k, as clearly seen in said figures.

Upon the arms of the spool-carriers H are placed tensionsprings l, with regnlatingnuts bearing upon the outer ends of the outer spools, the pressure of which springs is only sufficient to counteract the spring of the wire upon the spools, and tends to prevent the unwinding of the wires from the spools, except when drawn off by the machine in the manufacture of rope. The wire upon each spool is unwound in an opposite direction from that of the next adjacent, which causes the said spools, in alternate succession, to revolve in contrary directions, and thus prevents each from interfering with the motion of and unwinding of the wire from the other. This permits the uniform feeding of the wires from each spool to the twisting-spindles, and prevents the liability of the entanglement of the wires resulting from uneven unwinding from the spools. The spool-carriers are revolved upon their re spective axes and in a reverse direction to that of the shaft 13 by gears D and e, to cause the wires from all the spools of each carrier to be twisted together before being incorporated into the rope.

The convergent or forward ends of the spindles E are provided with disks 0, loosely fitted thereon by any one of a number of waysas, for instance, by a collar placed on one side of said disk, and provided with a sleeve, n, extending to the other side of the disk, under a collar, 1", on that side, and fastened by a setscrew passing through the sleeve and collar into the spindle, as shown in Fig. 8; or a collar with a set-screw placed on one side of the disk may be used without a sleeve, the disk in this case fitting directly on the spindle, and being secured on the opposite side by a collar provided with a set-screw for secur'ingit tothe spindle, it being understood that the disk 0 is loosely hung upon the spindles in all cases, and that it is only necessary to provide means for limiting its action in one directioni. 0., away from the plate q.

The disk 0 has an oblique or inclined periphery, and placed thereon is a loose ring, 1), con forming in shape to the inclined surface of the disk. The wires are passed obliquely across the peripheries of the disks 0, and under the rings 1), to and through slits in disks or plates q, keyed or otherwise secured upon the spindles so as to hold them with their slits at a relatively oblique position to the line of the wires from the spools to the tension-disks 0, by which the frictional contact of the wires will cause both the disks 0 and rings 1) to rotate, but at uneven rates of speed, enabling the rings and ,thence through the die 8.

disks to constantly present different surfaces of con tact, and thereby distribute the wearupon the entire peripheral surfaces of said parts. The wires, however, maybe passed across the peripheries of the disks parallel with their axes.

q is a second disk or plate with slits in its periphery, pressed against the smaller circumference of the ring 19 by the action of a spring, l, placed upon the spindle E, which is held against the disk (1 by an adjusting-nut on the end of the spindle.

The pressure of the disks q against the rings 12 can be regulated by properly adjusting the nuts or their equivalents on the end ofthe spindles to regulate the tension on the wires.

The rings 1) are possessed of a greater or less amount of flexibility, to permit them to yield at any unevenly strained point or points touched by the wires, to cause the wires to be fed or passed over the disk, or between it and the ring, in a uniform manner. Where tensile strain is obtained by frictional pressure applied directly to the spools, uneven strain results between the spools and the drawing-off device by reason of the constantly-decrcasin g diameter of the spools as they are unwound. By our construction expensive tension jewels, stones, or hi ghly-tempered plates are dispensed with and greater speed attained, because we provide disks and rings of inexpensive material, which, by wearing evenly, may be worn out and replaced without much skill, and the adjustment being upon allthe wires of a strand at once, the tension of a whole strand may be adjusted at one operation,while where the tensile pressure is applied directly to each spool the adjustment of the tension of each wire has to be made separately. From these disks the Wires are conducted to and through the passages t to the interior of the shaft-tube J, and With the wires tightly drawn or held after being passed out through the die 8, for which provision is made, as will be presently set forth, the wires or threads, by setting the spool-carryin g arms in motion in an opposite direction to and simultaneously with driving the shaft B, will be twisted between the disks 0 and the shaft-tube J into strands, and within the aforesaid oppositely-revolving tube into rope, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 10.

As the twisting of the wires into strands is being effected, it will be observed that the tension will be obtained through the pressure of the ring 12, acted upon by the spring-plate q, while at the same time the oblique frictioncontact of the wires with the rings 1) and disks 0 will cause them to turn, and constantly present a different surface of contact to the wires, thus uniformly distributing the wear to which they are subjected.

b is the driving-pinion of the shaft 13, which meshes with a second pinion, w, on a shaft, V, supported in hearings in cross-pieces W W.

244.974. I I a 3- At'the other end'of the shaft V is a pinion, w, gearing with a small pinion forming part of the double gear-wheel D. This forms separate mechanism of different-.driving-speed for the shaft B and the spool-carrying arms.

The speed of the shaft B can be varied from that of the spool-carrying'arms, itrevolving in an opposite direction to and slower than said arms, by varying the size of the gearing to effeet the amount of twist to be imparted to the strands and to the rope.

It R are two grooved disks or rolls secured one above the other upon shafts L M, and disposed in line with and in proximity to the mouth or forward end of the shaft-tube J These rolls or disks receive the wire in rope form and draw it from the shaft. These rolls may have any number of peripheral grooves of varying sizes approximating that of the size of A setserew, f, regulates the pressure of the rolls or disks R R upon the rope according to the size of such rope. The shafts of the said rolls are driven by gearing w w, and one of them is provided with a worm-gear, K, which meshes with and is driven by a worm or screw, N, upon a shaft, 0, located in a plane at right angles to that of the shafts L M, and having one end supported in a standard, X, fastened to the frame A, anditsother end geared by the pinions, P Q withthe shaft S, provided with a second pinion, T, gearing with a pinion, c, on

the shaft B.

The pinion Kean be varied in size to increase or diminish the speed of the shafts L M and rope-drawing rolls R R.

The standard X is provided with a curved or vertical slot, as shown, and the shaft 0 is supported in a vertically-adjustable bearing, 11, secured to said standard in line with its slot.

This arrangement permits the adjustment of the shaft 0 in accordance with the size of the pinion K used.

it represents an elbow-socket or supportingbearing for connecting and holding shafts O and S in proper'relation and maintaining the gears P and Q on said shafts in connection,

' for this purpose being constructed of a sleeve fitted upon the end of the shaft S, and provided with bearings for the end of the shaft 0. A bow is supplied for the purpose of connecting the bearing on the outer side of gear 1? with the sleeve.

To the arms 01, just in rear of the spool-carrying disk, or the spools themselves, are provided supplemental spools, r,which are adapted to carry a core for each set of spools, or the wire thereon.

U are shields,also fastened to the arm d,with right-angled perforated portions 8 extending theyare then passed into and through the shaft-tube and extended to the drawing-rolls.

A reel,Y, detachably hung under the frame or machine by a shaft, a, in pendants b, is to hold the central core for the rope or strands. The core is passed up over a loose or sliding pulley, 0, whose shaft Z is provided with a friction-roll, m, upon which bears a lever, 11, with one end hung to the frame A, and provided at its other end with a weight, e. The weight can be shifted to the desired point upon the lever d to regulate the pressure of the lever upon the roll m of the pulley-shaft Z, to vary the feeding or paying out of the core. The core is passed from the pulley c through the shaft B, and, with the strands wound upon it, to the rolls R. The removal of either one of the pinions w x will cease the rotation of the spool-carrying arms, and thus simply with the rotation of the shaft B, avoid the imparting of any twist to the individual wires while they are being laid together in strands, or either themselves are being laid upon a core, or the strands upon a central core. The amount of twist imparted to the wires or strands ,is altered either by varying the speed of the spool-carrying arms or the size of their driving-pinions, or by varying the speed of the drawing-rolls, while these two, acting conjointly, also serve to regulate the amount of twist.

This machine,it is apparent,is also adapted for twisting threads or strands of fibrous material or cordage.

The range or class of work which this machine is capable of performing extends through all the grades from the fine threads of a fishing-line to those of the largest size of wirerope.

We do not limit ourselves to the use of flexible rings, as they may be made inflexible.

We are aware that'it is old, in stitching or embroidering machines, to place bobbins end to end on the same spindle and revolving in opposite directions.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim,and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is- V 1. The spindle E and disk O,combined with loose rin g 1), disk q, spring l, the adjusting-nut, and operating mechanism, as setforth;

2. The spindle E and disk 0, having beveled periphery,combined with correspondingly-beveled loose ring 10, slotted plate q, spring l, and controlling-nut, as specified.

3. The combination of the hollow adjustable spindles E, hub 0, provided with the slotted arms d, and tension devices 0 p q Z, with the twisting-shaft, and with operating mechanism ICC and means for supplying strand-cores through 6. The combination, with the shaftarm d said spindles, as specified. and spindle E, of the support for the core spool 4. The combination of the support for the or reel 1' and shield U s, as specified. core-spool 1' with the hollow spindle E and per- In testimony that we claim the foregoing We 15 fomted shield U s, and supporting and operathave hereunto set our hands this 31st day of ing mechanism, as specified. l July; 1879.

5. The combination, with the shaft-arm d, i EDWVARD M. BALL.

having curved slotted portion, of the adjustn- FREDERICK A. VJISVVELL. bly-conneeted sleeve or hearing m, spindles E, shaft; B, hub 0, gears D e, and driving mechism, as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses:

W. H. GILMAN, E. S. WIsWELL. 

